Sunday, November 16, 2008

I recently received an excellent question: Which of my ice cream recipes are gluten-free?

I am not super-familiar with strict gluten requirements--much of this will depend upon how sensitive an individual is to gluten. Many foods may have been exposed to gluten during manufacturing, so when in doubt, ask the company. For example, you might need to check if your preferred brand of chocolate chips or vanilla extract is totally gluten-free. Companies are usually good about responding to consumer questions (and they might already have a FAQ on their website). Also, the more companies hear that there is a demand for gluten-free products, the more likely they are to produce them! (Same goes for vegan products--so make your voices heard!)

In general, most of my recipes are gluten-free if your non-dairy milk is totally gluten-free--and it probably is. My recipes tend to follow this formula:

So usually you're in the clear. And some of the recipes that would otherwise contain gluten can be made gluten-free if you make simple substitutions. For example, if you use gluten-free cookie dough in the Cookie Dough Ice Cream recipe, even if other people would use a wheat-based dough.

However, if you are in doubt, play it safe and pick another recipe that you know you can enjoy. If you have questions about a particular ingredient (or gluten-free diets in general), this is an excellent resource. They've got lists of safe and unsafe ingredients, info about particular companies, and much more.

If any of my readers have tips or gluten-free vegan recipes to share, I'd love to hear from you in the comments. Anyone got a great GF brownie recipe? Cookies? Got a GF vegan blog? Inquiring minds want to know.

First, I highly recommend the Cuisinart ICE-20 Automatic 1-1/2-Quart Ice-Cream Maker for making homemade ice cream. It is inexpensive and I got mine from Amazon with free shipping.

Next is a recipe for making simple milk free ice cream using Vance’s DariFree powder (may be adjusted to use soy or other substitutes). Vances DariFree is a powdered milk substitute made from potatoes. With Vances you must pre-make the ice cream mix in a pot and heat it. The mix must be allowed to cool in fridge for a few hours. Then simply place it in the Cuisinart and turn it on. In a half hour you end up with a soft serve ice cream.

In a pot add:9 tablespoons of powdered Vances Darifree3 tablespoons of tapioca starch flour6 tablespoons of sugar3 cups of water

Turn heat on medium and whisk constantly to combine the dry mix with water and to prevent sticking to the pot. The mix will begin to thicken after a few minutes.

Now add:1/3 cup of any butter or margarine (For milk-free/soy-free I use Earth Balance Soy Free)

1 or 2 teaspoons of Vanilla or other extract

Continue heating and whisking until the mixture is completely combined and thickened. I do this until it begins a low boil (bubbles and steam begin). Take off heat and allow to cool enough to put in the fridge. Once chilled follow the ice cream maker instructions (which is fairly simple, just pour mix into the canister and run for 20-30 minutes).

* If you want to use soy milk, rice milk or other milk simply eliminate the powdered Vances and water and replace with any 3 cups liquid substitute.

* If you want to make Carob or Chocolate ice cream add 1/4 cup powdered cocoa or roasted carob to the dry mix.

About Me

When I got my first ice cream maker, I could only find a handful of vegan ice cream recipes in cookbooks or on the internet. So I started making up my own recipes. And then I started this blog. If only everything else in life could be so easy.

I haven't posted much in the last two years, and I don't expect to be very prolific in the months to come. After much frustration and a dozen doctors, I was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2008, and am now on a journey towards wellness. Recovery takes up most of my time and energy--but I hope to be back in the kitchen very soon!